Steve Logan, Business Education/Computer Education Teacher at Mount Olive Correctional Center in West Virginia, the State’s Maximum Security Prison, was the recipient of the 2009-2010 CEA (Correctional Educator’s Association) National Award for having been selected CEA Region 2’s Teacher of the Year, a region encompassing all of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, and Washington D.C.

As the Region 2 winner, Steve and his wife were invited by CEA National Headquarters to attend their four-day International Conference in Madison, Wisconsin, July 19-22, 2009, held at the Madison Concourse Hotel.

Steve Logan said he and his wife, Patricia Logan, both found the CEA Conference Membership to be extremely hospitable. Event organizers seemed to have done everything in their powers to make the conference, award recipient social gathering, the awards ceremony itself, and the phenomenal GALA dinner all very memorable and enjoyable. Steve said that “…they succeeded in this endeavor beyond all expectations.”

A pleasant surprise during the National Awards Presentation Ceremony and GALA dinner occurred when Steve and his wife were personally invited to sit at the banquet table with his West Virginia administrators, Dr. Fran Warsing and Jacob Green, as well as former Superintendent, Frank Andrews, each of whom were very welcoming of both Steve and his wife and seemed to be genuinely appreciative of Steve Logan for having been the CEA Region 2 recipient of this National Honor.

The Award Ceremony and GALA Dinner was formal (Steve dressed in his Tuxedo). One aspect that Steve and the other eight regional award winners seemed to take great relief in was the “prior conference promissory letter” assuring them that none of the award recipients would be asked to do any speaking, as the CEA Committee Membership wanted each region winner to have this special occasion be “totally stress free.”

While Steve said he would not have minded verbalizing a few words of appreciation, he did indicate that he liked the “stress free” atmosphere of not worrying about having to make such a presentation, and he is thankful to the CEA Committee Membership for their thoughtfulness, not just in that respect, but in all aspects of the planning, welcoming, honoring, and for the myriad recognitions and gift giving occasions throughout the conference.